The UEFA Champions League (UCL) fixture at Camp Nou sees Bayern destroy Barcelona, without ever getting out of third gear. Robert Lewandowski scores a brace!

One goal for Thomas Müller and two for Robert Lewandowski won the battle of the big two in UCL Group E as Bayern Munich sealed a dominant opening-game victory away at Barcelona 3-0.

Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern outfit controlled the game, with Müller scoring his 7th career goal against Barcelona thanks to a 34th-minute effort that fortuitously found the net, via a huge deflection off the back of Eric Garcia.

Lewandowski made it 2-0 with a typically predatory finish, slotting his 74th Champions League goal left-footed into a vacant net after Jamal Musiala’s fierce drive had rebounded off the post and into his path.

With the clock showing 85 minutes, he got his 75th UCL goal, as the striker once again showed his goalscoring talent with a powerful strike from another rebound. This time Serge Gnabry’s shot came back off the post and again the Pole was in the right place at the right time, to outfox the defence with quick feet and finish easily.

Barcelona, who were playing their 1st UCL game since the departure of Lionel Messi, were poor and offered little. They failed to register even a single shot on goal! Ronald Koeman’s Catalan giants have now lost 3 consecutive home games in European competition for the first time in the entire history of the club. They finished the match with 4 teenagers on the pitch, which did at least inject some energy and lifted a subdued crowd that was restricted to 40,000 because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Barcelona now sit bottom of Group E with 0 points. After this victory, Bayern are top with 3 points. Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv, who last night played out a goalless draw in Ukraine have 1 point each and make up the rest of the group.